March 8 (Reuters) -

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** indicates closing price

All prices as of 0632 GMT

EQUITIES

GLOBAL - U.S. and European equity indexes closed a tumultuous week with losses of more than 1% on Friday as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran sent oil futures soaring to prices not seen since 2023 while unexpected U.S. job losses in February increased hopes for Federal Reserve rate cuts, but this did little to calm investor worries about economic weakness.

MSCI's gauge of stocks across the globe .MIWD00000PUS fell 10.36 points, or 1.01%, to 1,017.77.

For a full report, click on MKTS/GLOB

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NEW YORK - Wall Street's three main indexes closed down on Friday amid a sudden setback in the U.S. labor market and a 12% spike in U.S. oil prices due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average .DJI fell 0.95% to 47,501.55 points, posting its steepest weekly percentage drop since early April 2025. The S&P 500 .SPX lost 1.33% to 6,740.00 points and had its worst week since mid-October. The Russell 2000 recorded its sharpest weekly fall since early August. The Nasdaq Composite .IXIC slipped 1.59% to 22,387.68.

For a full report, click on .N

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LONDON - Europe's STOXX 600 marked its biggest weekly drop in close to a year on Friday as the Middle East conflict showed no signs of abating, while an unexpected decline in U.S. jobs clouded the outlook for interest rate cuts.

The pan-European benchmark .STOXX was down 1%, at its lowest level in more than two months.

For a full report, click on .EU

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TOKYO - Japanese shares marked their steepest weekly drop in almost a year on Friday, as the Middle East war heavily disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, choking oil supply and pushing investors out of risk and into cash.

The Nikkei 225 Index .N225 edged higher 0.6% to close at 55,620.84.

For a full report, click on .T

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SHANGHAI - China and Hong Kong stocks ended the week lower, despite Friday's gains, as geopolitical risks weighed on sentiment and policy cues from the annual parliamentary meeting offered few surprises.

China's blue-chip CSI300 Index .CSI300 closed up 0.3% on Friday.

For a full report, click on .SS

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AUSTRALIA - Australian shares logged their worst week in nearly a year on Friday, as an escalating conflict in the Middle East kept investors on edge, with losses in heavyweight banks and miners weighing on the index the most.

The S&P/ASX 200 .AXJO slipped 1% to 8,851 points on Friday.

For a full report, click on .AX

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SEOUL - South Korean shares closed little changed on Friday to end a week of heightened volatility with the biggest drop in six years on a widening war in the Middle East.

The benchmark KOSPI .KS11 closed up 0.97 points, or 0.02%, at 5,584.87.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEW YORK - The safe-haven Swiss franc rallied across the board on Friday as the escalation of the Middle East conflict spurred a flight to safety, while the U.S. dollar slipped in choppy trading after data showed an unexpected drop in new jobs created last month.

The dollar index was down 0.2% on the day at 98.88 =USD.

For a full report, click on USD/

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SHANGHAI - China's yuan inched higher against the dollar on Friday but remained on course to snap a record weekly winning streak, and post its biggest slump in more than a year, reflecting a broadly firmer greenback in light of the widening Middle East conflict.

The onshore yuan CNY=CFXS fetched 6.9005 per dollar as of 0400 GMT.

For a full report, click on CNY/

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AUSTRALIA - The Australian dollar is set for the first weekly fall in eight as markets slid on economic fears of a protracted Middle East war, though a hefty yield buffer and Australia's limited exposure to energy shocks helped it hold above 70 cents.

The Aussie inched up 0.2% on Friday to $0.7020 AUD=D3.

For a full report, click on AUD/

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SEOUL - The South Korean won strengthened against the dollar.

The won was quoted at 1,476.4 per dollar on the onshore settlement platform KRW=KFTC.

For a full report, click on KRW/

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TREASURIES

NEW YORK - U.S. Treasury yields were lower in volatile trading on Friday, after a weak payrolls report lifted views that the Federal Reserve may need to cut interest rates at a quicker pace but surging oil prices continued to fan inflation fears as the war in Iran widened.

The yield on the benchmark U.S. 10-year Treasury note US10YT=TWEB declined 2.7 basis points to 4.119%.

For a full report, click on US/

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LONDON - Euro zone bonds were on course for their sharpest weekly selloff in a year on Friday, as the deepening conflict in the Middle East pushed oil prices higher and stoked inflation concerns.

Germany's 10-year government bond yield DE10YT=RR, the bloc's benchmark, rose 0.8 basis points to 2.86% on Friday.

For a full report, click on GVD/EUR

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TOKYO - The benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond (JGB) yield edged higher on Friday as investors remained on edge over the risk that a prolonged Middle East conflict could stoke inflation by driving up energy costs.

The 10-year JGB yield JP10YTN=JBTC rose 1.5 basis points (bps) to 2.170%.

For a full report, click on JP/

COMMODITIES

GOLD - Gold rose on Friday after softer U.S. payrolls data kept hopes of a Federal Reserve rate cut alive, but remained on track for its first weekly decline in five weeks as a stronger dollar kept gains in check.

Spot gold XAU= was up 1.4% at $5,149.14 per ounce as of 01:31 p.m. ET (1831 GMT).

For a full report, click on GOL/

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IRON ORE - Iron ore prices climbed on Friday as top consumer China's widening restrictions on buying some seaborne cargoes from major supplier BHP BHP.AX sparked supply concerns that outweighed falling demand.

The most-traded iron ore contract on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) DCIOcv1 closed daytime trade 1.38% higher at 772 yuan ($111.90) a metric ton.

For a full report, click on IRONORE/

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BASE METALS - Aluminium soared to its highest in nearly four years on Friday and was set for its biggest weekly rise since early-2023 as supply concerns due to the U.S.-Israel war on Iran intensified.

Benchmark three-month aluminium CMAL3 on the London Metal Exchange was up 3.4% at $3,408.50 per metric ton as of 1700 GMT.

For a full report, click on MET/L

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OIL - U.S. crude futures climbed 12% on Friday due to disruptions to global oil supplies because of the expanding U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Brent crude futures settled at $92.69 a barrel, up $7.28, or 8.52%.

For a full report, click on O/R

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PALM OIL - Malaysian palm oil futures rallied to their highest level in four months on Friday and logged a weekly gain, as stronger Dalian edible oils and a weaker ringgit supported the market.

The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for May delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 158 ringgit, or 3.76%, to 4,365 ringgit ($1,107.31) a metric ton at the close.

For a full report, click on POI/

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RUBBER - Japanese rubber futures closed marginally lower on Friday, extending the week's decline, as a fall in oil prices managed to overcome sentiments surrounding a weaker yen and increasing tire shipments from the U.S.

The Osaka Exchange rubber contract for August delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: traded down by 0.6 yen, or 0.16%, to 371.3 yen ($2.35) per kg.

For a full report, click on RUB/T

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(Bengaluru Bureau; +91 80 6749 1130)